Don't Leave Me
by gabisamore
Summary: When Will pushes himself to far, it's up to to Bella to save him. Is Will going to survive? How is Sophie going to react once she finds out Bella is a mermaid? My take on Mermaid Magic; Will and Bella are already dating.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I** **was watching "Mermaid Magic" on YouTube and I got this idea. Hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own h2o just add water.**

"Will, please don't do this," I pleaded. He turned, "I'll be fine, it's okay." He said confidently. With a final glare at Zane he dipped beneath the water and was gone.

The time passed. Seconds turned to hours as we counted them off.

Thirty seconds.

One minute.

The number sixty balloon popped up.

One minute thirty.

Two minutes.

Two minutes ten.

I had been nervous since the first minute. It was taking him too long.

Two minutes thirty.

I had to do something. I headed for the side of the boat, but Zane grabbed my arm. "Bella, no! what are you doing?"

"He's in trouble, Zane, I can help him!" I cried, tugging at my arm, trying to get it free.

"Bella, this is Sophie, remember? She can't find out; you can't trust her!"

Three minutes.

I was desperate.

"What's more important, my secret, or Will's life?" I sobbed. Zane was silent. He let go of my arm and without hesitation I dove overboard. I heard a cry from deck as I hit the water; probably from Sophie, but there was no going back now.

I transformed in the usual ten seconds. Usually I think that it's not long enough, but now I cursed those seconds, knowing that they could mean the difference of life and death for Will. I felt sick just thinking about that and I started swimming down the rope, keeping my eyes open.

I passed the sixty-meter mark. Where was he? Then I saw something a few meters away, drifting below the seventy mark. It looked…lifeless. I swam towards it quickly, fighting the panic that had lodged itself in my throat. It was Will. He was unconscious and his face was as white as a ghost and had begun to turn a slight shade of blue. I had to act fast. There was no way he could make it to the surface without air. I grabbed his shoulders and pressed my mouth to his, breathing a breathe of air into his mouth. I didn't know if it was enough, but I had to start making my way to the top. I grabbed Will's arm and thanked God that things were lighter underwater. He was still unconscious as I began to make my way at a sickeningly slow pace to the surface. I knew that if I went to fast, he could get the bends, which would kill him. Every marker seemed like eternity.

Finally we broke the surface, Will remained motionless and I couldn't tell if he was breathing or not. I looked up at the boat. Zane was looking at me in shock as if he couldn't believe what I was doing; exposing my secret to someone we weren't sure we could trust. Sophie was staring at me like I was some kind of a monster that had her brother in my grasps.

"Zane!" I shouted, desperate. Now that Will and I were half way out of the water, I was starting to feel his weight.

"Zane, stop staring and help me!" I cried. Will's weight was starting to pull me under again, and I knew that he needed medical help fast. Zane shook himself and reached for Will's arm, pulling him on deck. Will's eyes fluttered open and he glanced at me briefly before letting out a soft moan and shutting them again. Sophie was crying; I'd never seen her look so scared before. I think it was a combination of her brother's close call and my mermaid tail.

"What's wrong with…" her voiced trailed off and she pointed soundlessly at me. Zane shook his head.

"There's no time to explain; we need to get him to the hospital now!"

Sophie nodded, and starred another few seconds at me, then knelt by Will and started unzipping his wetsuit top.

"I'll meet you at the hospital," I said quickly, "Now get going!"

Zane nodded and ran back to the cabin. I swam several feet away so as to keep from getting caught in the propellers. The boat roared to life and sped off in the direction of the mainland. Sophie turned and looked at me again, shaking her head in disbelief. She turned back to her brother and the boat disappeared into the distance. Tears pressed against the back of my eyes and I stifled a sob as I dove beneath the waves, heading for the secluded spot on the beach where I would be safe from prying eyes as I dried off. I had saved Will, but I only hope that I hadn't been too late.

* * *

><p>I was walking through the doors to the hospital ER room. Zane had texted me which hospital they had taken Will to and said that they were en route to the Emergency Room. Apparently Will had drifted in and out of conciousness during the ambulance ride and was now in an almost comatose condition. I was shaking as I stepped up to the front desk and cleared my throat.<p>

"Yes?" the lady behind it looked up.

"Um, I'm looking for Will Benjamin; he should have been brought in a little while ago."

The lady rifled through some papers. "Yes, here we are, what relation are you to Mr. Benjamin?"

"I'm his girlfriend," I said, a catch in my voice.

The lady looked at me sympathetically. "Don't worry dear; I'm sure he's going to be fine. Why don't you go in the waiting room with his sister? The doctor will go there first as soon as he has any news." She gestured towards a door to the left.

I nodded, "thank you," I said softly and then turned and walked through the door. There was Sophie. She was sitting in a chair, her head in her hands.

"Sophie?" I said nervously. She lifted her head up like a flash and jumped up.

"How did you get here?" She asked. She didn't look scared or anything, just confused.

"I took a cab; I wanted to see if Will's okay."

Sophie shook her head. "Never mind Will, what happened out there in the water, did I just imagine it, or did you become a…" her voice trailed off.

"A mermaid?" I finished for her. She nodded.

I was silent for a few seconds. She thought that she had imagined it. Considering all the stress she was dealing with now it probably wouldn't be too hard to convince her that she was indeed imagining things, but something inside me told me that she needed to know. I couldn't explain it, but I felt for the first time in my life that I could trust her.

I took a deep breath and motioned to the chairs. "I think you'd better sit down." I said. She sat and I took the seat beside her. Trying to make it seem as simple and nonchalant as I could, (NOT easy, "I fell into the water one day during a magical full moon and now every time I touch water I grow a tail, and oh by the way I can also make water hard and turn it into jelly, nothing out of the ordinary really if you think about it." Yeah, I repeat, NOT easy.) Anyway, Sophie listened to every word I said and then shook her head.

"I don't believe it," she said in shock, "but yet I saw it."

"It's true, but I'm going to have to ask you not to tell anyone. They'll think I'm an animal." I cautioned. This was it.

She stared at me again. "Is the water thing the only power you have, nothing else?" She questioned slowly.

"Nothing else, I swear." I said, raising my hand.

"And does Will know?" She said finally.

I nodded silently. "For the past three months."

"And he's okay with it?" She pressed.

"Actually he seems to prefer it," I said with a smile.

Sophie smiled back, "it figures that he would be attracted to a girl whose also a mermaid. The ocean is almost like his second home. If it's important to him than I won't say anything. I'd do anything for him."

I placed my hand on her arm, "so would I," I said softly.

She gave a sad smile, "I think you've already proven that."

We sat in silence for several minutes, each thinking our own thoughts. Then something struck me.

"Hey, where's Zane?" I asked. "Isn't he here?"

Sophie shook her head, "He had to leave. Rikki's out of town for the day and we both can't be away from the café at once. He offered to go so I could stay here. He made me promise to call him once we find out anything."

I shook my head incredulously. I knew Will and Zane didn't exactly like each other, but I guess almost killing Will kind of shook Zane up. I had never seen him actually care about another person except for Rikki. As I was thinking a doctor walked out through the swinging doors to the right of the waiting room. My head snapped up and I looked at him anxiously.

"Sophia Benjamin?" he inquired, reading off his clipboard. "

That's me," Sophie said eagerly, "is he okay?"

The doctor looked up and motioned to a chair. "I think you'd better sit down."

Sophie felt the blood drain from her face. She sat back down stiffly next to me and gestured for the doctor to continue.

"You're Will's sister, correct?"

She nodded numbly.

He looked pointedly at me. "And you are…?"

"Will's girlfriend," I finished for him.

"It's okay, she can stay," Sophie said quickly.

The doctor nodded and continued, "Well, your brother is very fortunate. Another ten seconds or so and his brain would have been dead for lack of oxygen. He's barely alive as it is, but he's responding well to our treatments and with proper rest and care he should be back to normal in no time."

"So he's going to be okay?" I asked, a catch in my voice.

"Yes, he'll be fine if there are no complications. We'll be keeping him here for the next few days under observation, but he's currently out of danger."

"Oh, thank God," Sophie gasped, wiping her tear-filled eyes. "Can I see him?"

"Yes, you can, one visitor at a time and not for too long. He needs to rest as much as possible at this stage."

He stood up, "which ever one of you is going first come with me, I'll show you his room. Oh, and by the way" the doctor added. "Will regained conscious briefly during our examination and was mumbling something about a 'Bella' and a 'secret'. He blacked out again after that, and he didn't say anything else. He's resting comfortably now, but are either of you Bella?"

I stood up, my face having gone completely white by this point. "I'm Bella," I said quickly.

Sophie looked at me, "you should go first; he'll be wanting to see you."

I looked at her in surprise, "are you sure? You've been worrying like crazy too."

She nodded firmly, "I'm sure," She leaned forward and pulled me into an awkward, yet warm hug. I had never been more surprised, but I hugged back.

"Now go on," she said, giving me a little push in the doctor's direction. I gave a weak smile and then turned to follow the doctor, who had begun to make his way towards the door.

We walked down several hallways before the doctor stopped in front of one door.

"Here's his room," he said, "you can go on in."

I thanked him quietly and stepped through the door. It shut with a slight *click* behind me and I heard the footsteps of the doctor as he walked away.

"Will?" I said softly, walking further into the room. Then I saw him. He was lying on the hospital bed, asleep. He looked white as a ghost and there was an IV drip attached to his arm. I pulled a chair up next to his bed and silently took his limp hand in mine and pressed it to my face. I could feel tears rolling down my cheeks. I don't think I could bear it of something were to happen to Will. He's everything to me; I'd rather die with him then live without him. I realeased his hand and set it down carefully on the crisp white sheets. I sat in silence for a few minutes; staring at his face, memorizing every detail and thinking about how close I had come to never seeing it again. I was thinking about going to get Sophie; I didn't want to make her wait too long, when I heard a sound that seemed to have come from Will. I froze and stared hard at him. Sure enough he shifted restlessly and his eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times and then shook his head slightly, wincing in the process.

"Bella?" He mumbled weakly, squinting at my face.

"Yeah, it's me," I said, a smile beginning to spread across my face. "Do you know how much you scared me?"

He grinned weakly, "Sorry," he mumbled groggily, "what happened?"

"You got mad at Zane and tried to dive too deep too fast I think. You blacked out.".

Will looked confused for a few seconds. "If I blacked out, how did I get back to the surface?" he croaked.

"Well...ummm," I wasn't quite sure how to explain that. Should I tell him it was me? Thankfully, Will answered my question for me.

"Wait...I saw you in the water...for a second...With your tail...Sophie...Bella!" his eyes got wide and he looked at me in shock.

I placed my hand on his and quietly put my finger to my lips. "Shhhhh babe,it's okay. I explained everything to her in the waiting room and she promised she wouldn't tell."

He sighed in relief, but then broke into a coughing fit.

I looked at him worriedly. "Are you okay? Should I call someone?" I said quickly. He placed his hand in the air and shook his head slightly. Finally he stopped coughing and looked at me with awe.

"You seriously risked you secret for me?" he questioned horsely, "what if Sophie hadn't kept it? What if she had told someone? What if she does anyway? What if..."

His voice was cut off as my lips crashed into his. I pulled away after only a few moment, he didn't need anything that required him to hold his breath at this point. "What if you hadn't made it?" I finished. "I would never have forgiven myself for letting you die when I could have saved you." There were tears in his eyes and I could feel them running down my cheeks as well.

"I love you." I whispered softly.

"I love you too," he whispered back, pulling me into a tight hug. He finally let go and eased back onto his pillows. I sat down again and we sat in silence for several minutes. I looks at my watch and saw that I had been in here for almost twenty minutes. I stood up slowly.

"I'm going to go get Sophie." I said. "She was so worried about you."

Wills eyes opened and he reached for my hand. "Don't leave me, please?" he begged weakly.

I leaned over him and kissed him on the forehead gently. "I'll be back soon." I promised. He nodded sleepily and closed his eyes again; he was exhausted. I tiptoed silently out of the room and closed the door quietly behind me. Once outside I breathed a sigh of relief. Will was okay. My secret was safe.

**A/N: what do you think? Should I continue? I'm still working on my other story, but I really like where this is heading. Review and let me know! Thanks for reading!**

**Ella** :)


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: OMG! I got 4 reviews! EEEEKKK! I'm so excited! :) :) I know it's kind of silly, but I didn't expect much feedback for this; my other story took awhile before it caught on. Anyway, here's chapter two; it's got some Will/Sophie brother/sister moments. I would have posted it sooner, but I had no idea that I would be asked to continue! Enjoy!**

Sophie's POV:

Will was finally home. They had released him from the hospital this morning, three days after his accident, with instructions for complete rest for the next week. He had been very tired after we got home, all the process of actually leaving the hospital having worn him out. He was still asleep now and it was about 1:00 in the afternoon. I was sitting in his room reading a magazine, but it was hard to concentrate. I knew Will was okay now, but it was still hard for me to not be freaking out like I was before. I had almost lost my little brother (granted he's bigger than me, but that's not the point), and I never wanted something like that to happen again. I heard Will shift restlessly next to me, and I looked up to see him yawn and stretch his arms as he woke up. He turned in my direction and grinned sleepily.

"Hey," he said, lying back against his pillows.

"Hey," I replied, setting down my magazine. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay." He yawned again, "A little tired maybe, but overall okay."

"That's good," I said relieved, "do you want to get up and rest on the couch for awhile? It might be a nice change."

"Okay, sounds good." He said sitting up slowly. Once we were in the living room I got him a blanket and he settled himself on the couch, pulling the blanket over his knees.

"Anything else you need?" I asked.

"Tea would be nice, but don't worry about it; I can make it myself." He said, beginning to get up.

"No, no, no, no I'll make it." I said motioning for him to sit back down.

"Soph, I'm perfectly capable to boil water and stick a tea bag in it; I'm not crippled!" Will protested.

"No way; you need to rest. I'm making the tea, and you're going to lie down." I said sternly, getting up and walking into the kitchen. Will sighed exasperated and lay back down. I set the water to boil and started hunting for the tea. When it was ready, I brought it out and found Will flipping through the diving magazine I had left out on the coffee table.

"I can't believe I was so stupid, diving without preparing like that." He said, shaking his head and putting down the magazine as I handed him his tea. He took a sip and wrapped both hands around the mug. "I was such an idiot. Remind me in the future to plug my ears and close my eyes whenever Zane's around, maybe then I can refrain from killing him."

I laughed, "I'll try and remember," I said playfully. I stepped back into the kitchen for a few moments to clean up when I heard a knock at the door.

"I'll get it!" Will called.

"Oh no you won't. Don't move a muscle!" I shouted, hurrying into the living room.

"Sophie!" Will moaned.

"Will!" I imitated back. I'd almost forgotten how annoying my brother could be; it brought back memories.

* * *

><p>"<em>Sophie!"<em>

"_Go away, I'm busy!"_

"_Please Soap, I'm bored!" Will pleaded._

"_Well guess what? I'm not, and don't call me 'soap'"_

"_Whatever you say soap." He said with a mischievous smile on his face._

"_Aaarrgh! You are so annoying! Get_ _out!" I screamed, getting up off my bed and chasing him out the door._

"_Okay, okay, I'm going!" Will snapped, "You're such a meanie!"_

"_Call me what you like, just GET OUT!"_

"_Fine!"_

"_Fine!"_

_My eight-year-old brother stormed out and I climbed back on my bed with my Nancy Drew book. I loved to read. Our class was having a Readathon and I was expecting to walk away with first prize, which was fifty dollars cash, a lot of money for a twelve year old. I was engrossed in the part where Nancy was just about to catch the criminal when I heard a screech of tires coming from the road outside, followed by a scream that sounded like it came_ _from my mother. I leaped out of bed and ran down the stairs faster than I'd ever done before. Our screen door was wide open and I dashed outside, seeing a car stopped in front of my house, a strange man with a cell phone pressed to his ear and my mother kneeling by a small figure on the opposite side of the road. My breath caught in my throat and I thought I was going to be sick. That couldn't be…I didn't even want to think about it. I forced myself to walk quickly over to my mom. I reached her and looked down. _

_It was Will, lying on the ground with his leg bent in an odd angle and tears streaming down his face. _

"_What happened?" I cried, kneeling next to my mom and grabbing Will's hand. _

"_I wanted to get my soccer ball," Will sobbed, "but then the car came. Soap, I'm scared!" _

_Guilt washed over me like a bucket of water, leaving me weak and dizzy. If I had gone out to play with him instead of reading my stupid book, I would have been able to see the car. I should have been looking out for him; isn't that what a big sister's supposed to do? I swallowed hard._

"_You're going to be okay Will; it wasn't your fault." I choked. "_It was mine_," I added silently to myself. Just then I heard the ambulance sirens as they pulled up the road. The man with the cell phone came rushing up to us. _

"_I am so sorry," he said in shock, "I didn't see him, and it was just after I came up a hill and I was going too fast to stop and I…"_

_My mom cut him off tearfully, "it's alright, it wasn't your fault; it was nobody's fault." _

_Nobody's fault._

_Nobody's fault._

* * *

><p>"Sophie? Hey Soph, you okay? Sophie!"<p>

I snapped out of my daze.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, sorry," I apologized, wringing my hands together and walking towards the door. I opened it and saw Bella, Rikki, and Cleo on the other side.

"How is he?" Bella asked immediately.

"Bella told us there was an accident, is everything alright?" Cleo cried.

"Come in, but he really needs to rest so you can't stay long," I said, opening the door a bit wider.

"Soph, it's alright; I feel a lot better, really," Will called from the couch.

I shook my head, "He refuses to stay put; you have no idea all the trouble I've had with him this morning," I scolded teasingly. Will rolled his eyes and turned to Bella.

"Come over here, I want to hug you, but if I move Sophie will kill me!" He joked. Bella climbed on the couch with him and he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her hair. "I've missed you." He whispered softly.

"I've missed you too." She whispered back. He tilted her chin up and kissed her gently.

"Awww," Cleo murmured.

Rikki rolled her eyes and cleared her throat loudly. I smiled as Will and Bella broke apart, both smiling sheepishly.

Rikki plopped herself down on the chair next to the couch and turned to face Will.

"Tell us what happened," she demanded, "Bella has yet to fill us in; she's been too busy worrying about you."

Will grinned and tightened his arm around Bella a bit. She snuggled into his chest and sighed contentedly.

"Well, actually it was really all my fault –" he began, but Bella cut him off.

"Don't be ridiculous, it was NOT your fault, Zane was being a jerk." She turned apologetically to Rikki. "Rikki, I'm sorry but he was really out of line."

"What did he do this time?" Rikki sighed. Will and I exchanged glances.

"Come on, come on, tell me so that way I'll have an excuse to yell at him." She encouraged.

"You tell her Soph," Will said. I couldn't help but notice that he was looking pale. I locked eyes with Bella, and we gave each other knowing glances.

"Okay, I'll do the talking, just sit tight and relax." I said. He nodded tiredly and closed his eyes.

"There's not all that much to tell really." I began. "Zane dived and went down to forty meters on the first time down, something's that's not really possible if you're not experienced. He somehow made it back and taunted Will about how he had only dived thirty meters. Will got angry and dived without preparing, and then passed out. Bella dived in to rescue him and ––"

"Bella, WHAT!" Cleo and Rikki shouted at once. I looked at Bella. "You didn't…?" She shook her head.

"Uh oh," She said, looking from Cleo to Rikki. They both glared at her.

"Bella…" Cleo said warningly, "Is there something you're supposed to be telling us right about now?"

"I'm sorry guys, but Sophie found out about me, it was Will life or my secret and I had to save him; I had to try." She looked at them nervously.

"The doctor said any longer and he would have died." I added in.

Cleo sighed, "Bella, did you tell her everything?"

Bella shook her head and Cleo looked at Rikki.

"I think we should; it's only a matter of time." Rikki said.

"Tell me what?" I said curiously.

"Sophie, we're all mermaids, me Cleo and Bella." Rikki said bluntly.

My eyes widened, but I soon realized how logical that was. They were always together, and they would always swim together with Will. I was surprised that I hadn't figured it out myself after Bella first told me.

"That makes sense," I said slowly, "and you don't have to worry; I'm not going to tell anyone."

Cleo sighed with relief. "Thanks Sophie, I guess we underestimated you." She said apologetically. I smiled.

"It's okay, I'm just glad everything turned out alright." I said.

Bella shook her head. "I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you guys that she knew sooner; I know it seems terrible that I threw it all away like that, but there was nothing else for me to do."

Cleo reached out and put her arm around Bella, "Bella, we're NOT mad at you. I don't blame you, I would have done the same thing for Lewis."

Rikki nodded in agreement. "And I would have done it for Zane––I think."

Will chuckled, "What do you mean, 'you think'?" He asked

"After what he did, I don't know!" she growled. "I can't believe that jerk; he could have killed you." Will grinned slightly at the intensity of her anger, and then shook his head, wincing in the process.

"Will, are you alright?" I asked quickly.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a headache," he nodded, and then winced again. "I've GOT to stop doing that!" he groaned, rubbing his temple.

"Will, you really should get some rest, maybe you should take a nap?" Bella said seriously, placing her hand on top of his.

He looked down at her. "I know you're right," he said, nuzzling her neck a little and then out of the blue, he kissed her hard.

"Will!" she squealed playfully, pushing him away, "That doesn't qualify as resting!"

"No, but it'll give me something awesome to dream about," he chuckled.

Rikki made a face and stood up, "and I think that's my cue to leave." She said. "I have some 'things' to take care of."

"Rikki…. what do you mean by 'things'?" Cleo questioned suspiciously.

"There's a certain person who needs to be yelled at because of his pathetic ego…that's the first thing anyway." Rikki stormed out of the boathouse before Cleo could say another word, mumbling something about a "jerk".

Cleo shook her head after her. "I'd better be going too; hope you feel better Will." She said as she walked out the door.

Bella sat up, "I'll see you again later Will, get some rest okay?" She kissed him gently on the cheek.

"I'll try," he mumbled, hugging her again before she got up.

"Bye Sophie, I'll talk to you later," she said as she opened the door.

"Okay, I'll call you if he gets difficult again," I grinned. She laughed and left, closing the door silently behind her.

"How bad is your headache?" I asked as soon as she was out the door, fixing his blankets around him as he settled down.

"Pretty bad," he admitted, taking a sip of his tea.

"Will I'm sorry." I said softly, sitting down beside him.

"Sorry? For what? That you got a lemon seed in my tea?" Will teased.

I sighed, "No, not for that, for all this," I motioned towards him.

"For what? You mean the accident?" Will asked incredulously. I nodded silently.

"Soph, you can't possibly be blaming yourself for that, it was my fault entirely; I totally screwed up. Maybe I had a little help from Zane, but still, it had nothing to do with you."

"Yes it did, I should have tried harder to stop you." I cried, standing up. I could feel tears pushing against the back off my eyes.

"Will, I almost lost you forever," I choked, "I should have done something; I'm sure I could have convinced you if I had tried. Every single time I've blown it." A sob escaped from my lips. I heard Will standing up, but I didn't bother to tell him to sit back down. I felt him pull me into his arms, and I buried my face in his chest. He held me close and stroked my hair.

"Hey, take it easy. It's okay; I'm okay; everything is fine," he murmured softly. "There was nothing you could have done; I can tell you now that you could never have changed my mind. I was going to make that dive no matter what; it was stupid, but you couldn't have made me think otherwise even if you had talked for the rest of your life."

I sniffed, "Really?"

"Really." he replied. "But what do you mean 'every single time'?" He asked curiously. "When was the other time?"

"When we were little remember? You got hit by a car and broke your leg; you had to be in a cast for two months."

"Yeah, I remember that, but how in the world do you make that your fault?"

"You asked me to play with you and I told you to go away. If I hadn't, you would have been fine. That car could have killed you, you could have drowned Monday…"

"Sophie, you can't live like this." Will said sternly, "Every thing happens for a reason, and these two accidents were no different. Don't blame yourself for everything, what would you say if I told you that I blamed myself when you got in that car accident last year? Remember? When you had a concussion and they made you stay in the hospital for two days."

"That's silly," I said, startled, "I was driving; you weren't even in the car. How could you blame yourself?"

Will shrugged. "I could have driven you myself, I could have done _something_."

"That makes no sense; how were you to know that a car was going to pass a light? That's crazy."

"See?" He said, "You're being the same way. How were you to know that a car would run across the road and hit me? How would you know that I wasn't going to make it back from that dive okay; I've dove that deep before; I could have just been lucky."

I was quiet. "I guess you're right." I said slowly.

"Of course I am," He grinned weakly and kissed me on the cheek. I hugged him and I could tell he was very tired.

"Now," I said, drying my eyes, "go and take that nap, you look like you could use it."

"I'm not going to argue with you there," he agreed as he lay down without a protest. I tucked the blankets around his shoulders and he was soon asleep.

**A/N: This chapter was LONG! I was really happy with how it turned out though. The conversation between Will and Sophie was originally going to be between Will and Bella, but that wouldn't make sense because she DID do something; she exposed her secret and saved his life. I feel like Sophie's character is never given enough time to expand, like Will and Bella, so that's why this chapter was from her POV. I was a little skeptical about writing her POV, but I think it came out good. Thanks for all your amazing reviews! I was so excited! Review please and tell me what you think! I have vacation this week, so if you review soon I might update again this week! :) Be sure and check out my other H2O story, Hold On Tight. It's a Wella fic too. :) Thanks so much for reading! Luv ya!:):)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Yay! Here's chapter three. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! :) I forgot a disclaimer last time, sorry!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own H2O just add water, I especially do not own the episode Mermaid Magic. There, you satisfied! :)**

CHAPTER 3 (_about a week/two weeks after the previous chapter_)

Will's POV

_It was dark. So dark. I couldn't see anything. The sixty-meter mark was there. It was just out of reach. I stretched for it, but I couldn't quite grasp it. It disappeared before my eyes and I felt disoriented. Everything went dark. Something was pressing on my chest; I couldn't breath. My heart started racing. My arms and legs were bound tight; I couldn't move them. I tried to scream but I choked on the words. It was dark. So dark. I couldn't breath; I was suffocating._

"Will? Will, are you okay?"

I heard a voice, but I couldn't make out what it was saying; it was so far away. Someone was shaking me. I wanted to get away from this nightmare. I tried to speak, but my throat froze and I could only moan.

"Will? Oh my god, Will, wake up!"

My eyes flew open, and I grabbed at the closest thing in reach, not even knowing what it was. I gasped for air and started breathing hard. My heart was beating double time and I clutched my stomach with one hand, trying to still the sick feeling that threatened to overwhelm me.

"Will, it was just a dream. Try and calm down."

"Sophie?" I mumbled, releasing her hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize…"

"It's fine," She said, sitting down on the side of my bed and rubbing my shoulder gently.

"Will, you're shaking!" She exclaimed. "Are you okay?"

I hadn't even noticed, but I _was_ shaking, and yet sweating at the same time. "I…I don't know." I whispered. "I don't know."

"Let me get you some water, lie down okay?" She stood up and headed for the door, flicking on a small lamp as she left. I lay back down and closed my eyes. The red sixty-meter mark appeared in front of them and I shot back up, blinking my eyes in disbelief. So that was it. The water, the darkness, it all lead back to the accident. I groaned and collapsed back on my pillows just as Sophie came in with a small glass of water. She handed it to me, and I took a small sip, the cool liquid calming my queasy stomach.

"Do you remember what it was about?" Sophie asked quietly.

"I was in the water. I couldn't breath, and I was really scared." I said slowly.

"The accident," she breathed.

I shrugged, "it's probably just a one time thing, I'm feeling better already." And I really was. My heartbeat felt normal again, and I was only shivering slightly. But I had this feeling that this nightmare wasn't going to be the last.

* * *

><p>(<em>two days later<em>)

It was early in the afternoon and Bella and I were walking down the beach, getting some fresh air.

"It's beautiful today," she commented, looking up at me.

"Yeah, it really––" I yawned in the middle of my sentence and covered my mouth hastily.

"Sorry," I apologized sheepishly.

"You know that's at least the fourth time you've yawned since we've been walking. Am I really that boring?" She teased

I tried to explain, "No, no, you're not boring it's just that…" but she cut me off with a soft kiss on my lips.

"Relax, I was only kidding." She assured me, "but really, is everything okay? You look really tired."

I sighed, "I am; I didn't sleep well; I was up most of last night."

She looked worried, "Is everything alright?"

"Well…"

"Will, come on, tell me," she pressed, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine – I think," I added as an afterthought.

"What do you mean, 'you think?'" She asked suspiciously.

I paused briefly. "Why don't we sit down and I'll tell you." I said finally.

Bella plopped down on the sand, and patted a spot next to her.

"Sit," she ordered. I chuckled, and sat down next to her.

"So, what's going on?" She asked.

"Well, it's nothing seriously," I began. She breathed a sigh of relief. "But," I continued, "I've been having nightmares about the accident for the past few nights and I'm not sure what I should do to stop them."

"Has it happened every night?" She asked quietly.

I nodded. "For the past three days."

"Oh baby, that's terrible, no wonder you've been looking so exhausted." She exclaimed as she hugged me. "Have you thought about seeing a doctor?"

"Yeah, but I don't think it's that serious, yet anyway." I said. "Maybe if it keeps on for another few days, but I can't imagine that it would. I think I just need time to get over the whole thing."

"And you do realized that you haven't been diving ever since the accident, don't you?" She pointed out.

"Well yeah, but that was doctor's orders, no diving for three weeks minimum."

"The time's almost up. That could help, maybe a new dive will replace the memories of the old one."

"It's an idea anyway." I leaned closer to her and put my arm around her shoulders.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" I said dreamily, staring into her beautiful eyes

Bella giggled, "a few times, yes."

"Well that's not enough," I argued playfully. I reached out and tickled her sides.

"Oh my god Will stop! Will!" she shrieked, rolling on the sand, trying to get away from me. I flopped on the sand too, grabbed her wrists gently, and climbed on top of her.

"You're my prisoner," I teased, nuzzling her nose.

"And who said that that's a bad thing?" She quipped.

I chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. I could feel my energy coming back already.

**A/N: Since the last chapter was so long I decided that it was okay to make this one a bit shorter. It's mainly a filler chapter, but the beginning was kind of crucial. I plan to devote myself to my other story for the rest of the week, but you never know! :-) Review please and let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thanks so much for reading! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hi! Sorry I haven't updated this story for a while, but I've been a bit busy with my other H2O stories. Note to readers of the POWERS UNFATHOMABLE TRILOGY: I made some slight revisions to the final chapter of Hold On Tight. I thought the fight was a bit too slapdash, so I added a few lines, but I didn't change any of the original wording or anything. If you'd like, go check out the changes! :)

**Okey Dokey, here's the fourth chapter of Don't Leave Me. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own H2O just add water **

CHAPTER 4

Will's POV

"Will! I'm leaving now, Bella should be here in a few minutes!"

"Sis, I told you a thousand times. Bella DOESN'T need to come!"

"And I told you a thousand times that she was and would be no matter what you said, so give it up." She retorted.

I sighed, "Sophie, I'm not a baby; I don't need a babysitter!"

"Bella is NOT a babysitter; she's just here to make sure you don't have another nightmare tonight."

"I didn't have any problems last night; I'm sure I've gotten over it!" I protested.

She opened the door, "I'm not taking any chances; she'll be here soon, so stop being a pest." She hugged me lightly, and I hugged her back halfheartedly. Then she turned and left through the front door.

I groaned and shook my head. Arguing with Sophie was useless; I should have figured that out by now. At least I'd get an evening alone with Bella, even if she was my "babysitter" because no matter what Sophie said, that's what she was. I sighed and turned around. My eyes fell on my desk. It was a disaster zone. I had been researching a shell last night, and I kind of got carried away. I should probably clean some of this up. I had been rummaging through the papers for about ten minutes, trying to get some form of organization going but failing miserably when I heard a quiet knock on the front door.

"Hello?"

I turned quickly and saw Bella poking her head through the door.

"Hey," I said, walking over and kissing her lightly on the cheek. "How are you?"

"I'm good, how about you?" She looked at me seriously.

"I'm fine," I said, exasperated, "and I honestly don't see any reason for you to be here tonight."

"What!" She cried.

"No, no, I didn't mean it like that!" I said hastily, "I'm really glad you're here; I'm just saying that I would be fine even if you weren't here, which I'm very glad you are." I said all in one breath. Bella laughed.

"It's okay, I know what you meant. But honestly baby, I don't mind staying until Sophie gets home."

I smiled at her, "You're amazing; you know that?" I said warmly.

"You might have told me once or twice," she whispered. I pulled her into my arms and kissed her. We didn't break apart until I absolutely had to breathe, and I can hold my breath for a LONG time, so it was a quite a while. When we did finally pull away from each other, I turned towards the kitchen.

"You know, it's almost seven, do you want something to eat?" I asked.

"That would be great. Wait, what exactly did you have in mind? She added suspiciously. I chuckled.

"Relax, Sophie gave me instructions before she left." I held up my hand jokingly and began to count off my fingers.

"First I turn the stove on high. Then I put a pot of water on the stove and wait for the water to boil. Then I add some pasta, and let it cook for six minutes. The sauce is in a pot already on the stove. I pour it on top of the pasta and we eat." I finished proudly.

"Wow, you're all set now aren't you?" Bella joked.

"Well yeah," I teased. "So what do you say? You want to give my cooking a try?"

She grinned and kissed me gently. "I think I can be brave; where do you keep the pots?"

About an hour later, Bella and I had just finished the dishes. Dinner had actually turned out pretty good; I was even surprised. We were sitting on the couch, my arm around her shoulders.

"So, how have your past few nights been?" She asked. I sighed. I really hated when the subject turned to this. I know that everyone was just being considerate, but it was hard enough having to deal with nightmares almost every night; I really didn't need to be reminded of them every single second of the day too. I knew Bella was just asking because she cared, so I tried to hide my annoyance.

"Last night was pretty good. I slept well and I didn't have a single dream that I could remember, but before that, I was still having the same dreams over and over again." I said shortly.

"Were they all about diving and water?" she asked quietly. I nodded.

"Are you sure you shouldn't be seeing someone about this?" She persisted, "You need to get sleep."

"Relax," I said calmly, pulling myself together, "remember, I was fine last night, I'm sure tonight will be the same."

"I hope so," She said softly, snuggling into my arms. I smiled and let myself relax, squeezing her shoulders gently.

"Do you want to watch TV or something?" I asked, looking down at her. She shrugged

"Anything's fine,"

"Okay then," I stood up and began searching for the control remotes. She snuggled against one of the pillows and frowned.

"Hurry back; it's not the same," she complained, smacking the pillow jokingly.

"I should hope not," I said, pretending to be offended.

"Whatever, just pick something!" She whined teasingly.

I smiled good-naturedly and popped a DVD into the television. I grabbed the remote that I had finally unearthed under a pile of magazines and then reclaimed my place on the couch.

"That's better," she giggled, wriggling back under my arms. I laughed and tickled her waist.

"Stop! Stop it, you idiot!" she squealed, slapping my hands away.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I apologized. I stopped and kissed her. She rolled her eyes and clicked the play button on the remote. I settle back into the couch and turned my attention to the movie. Or at least part of my attention, the rest was focused on Bella's reactions to the movie. She was so cute; she was more entertaining than any movie could ever be. Before I knew it, the ending credits were rolling on the screen and I had seen hardly any of the movie. Bella yawned sleepily.

"Ready for bed?" I didn't respond.

"Will, Will! are you listening?"

I shook my head and came back to reality. "Yeah of course," I lied.

She laughed, "no you weren't; honestly, did you watch any of the movie?"

I huffed, "of course I did,"

"Oh yeah? What was it about?"

"Oh well, it was about…um…well, there was this…uhh…"

"Uh huh," she said skeptically.

I laughed and stood up, stretching my arms and arching my back. "What time is it?" I yawned.

She glanced at the clock, "almost 11; we should probably get to bed, Sophie said I could use her room, okay?"

I shrugged, "sounds good to me––unless you had other ideas," I added teasingly, wiggling my eyebrows at her.

"Okay, that does it!" She shrieked playfully, grabbing a pillow and whacking me over the head with it.

"Okay, Okay, I'm sorry!" I laughed, but she pretended not to hear me and got up off the couch, chasing me around the room with her pillow, delivering a few smacks every time she go close enough.

"Hey! Okay, that's enough!" I shouted, laughing and out of breath. She stopped, and pushed me against the wall. I stared into her eyes and she stood on her tiptoes and kissed me. I deepened the kiss and wrapped my hands around her waist. She reached up and tangled her fingers in my hair, sending tingles down my spine. I finally broke off, realizing that if the kiss got any hotter, we might be in trouble. She smiled knowingly at me as I pulled away; she got it too. I leaned down and kissed her cheek.

"Good-night sweetheart," I murmured, stroking her hair.

She hugged me, "Good-night babe, sleep well."

Bella's POV

After Will said goodnight I went to Sophie's room and opened my overnight bag. I quickly slipped into the pajama shorts and over-sized T-shirt that I had brought and grabbed my toothbrush. Being extra careful not to get any water on my face, I brushed my teeth in the bathroom at the end of the hall. On my way back to my room, I paused outside of Will's.

I heard him walking around; everything sounded normal. I quickly tiptoed back into my room and left the door ajar so that if anything was to happen, I would be able to hear. I pulled down the sheets and crawled under the covers, too worried to sleep, but too tired to stay awake, yet I tried to for as long as I could. Finally it was too much, and I let my eyelids shut, drifting into a troubled sleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but I awoke to a muffled sound coming from the next room. I sat up straight in bed, ears alert to any more sounds.

I heard it again. It was definitely coming from Will's room. I tried not to panic; he could just be snoring or something, but I needed to find out. I threw off my blankets and walked quickly out into the hallway. The closer I got, the louder the sounds, and they didn't sound like snoring to me. I pulled Will's door open and dashed inside. I heard a muffled cry come from the direction of the bed, and I fumbled for a light switch, finally flicking on a small lamp. Will was thrashing around on his bed, sweat beads on his forehead, and moaning unintelligible things every few seconds. I ran to his side and began to shake his shoulder desperately.

"Will, baby, please, wake up!" I cried, giving his shoulder another shake. He cried out and his eyes flew open. They were wild with fright, and he looked confused for a moment. He grasped my hand so hard that it was starting to hurt, but I refrained from pulling away.

"It's okay," I murmured softly, "Everything's okay; it was just a dream." I rubbed his arm comfortingly with my free hand, and his grip on my other loosened a bit.

"Not again," he groaned in disappointment, closing his eyes, "No, I thought it was all over!"

I sighed, "Was it the same dream as always?"

He nodded, shaking slightly.

"I don't feel so good," he mumbled, placing a hand on his stomach, "my stomach kind of hurts."

"Do you want some water?" I asked, concerned.

"Yeah," he murmured.

"Okay, I'll be right back," I assured him, getting up and heading for the kitchen. I quickly fumbled for a glass and filled it with water from the tap. I carried it carefully back to Will's room and handed it to him. He took a long sip, still holding his stomach with his other hand. I waited until he had and had placed the glass on the night table beside his bed before I took his hand in mine.

"Feel any better?" I whispered, intertwining my fingers with his. He shook his head.

"Maybe a little," he said finally, "I'm just so tired of this; I want it all to be over!" He cried, exasperated.

"I know sweetie, I know, just hang in there, okay?" I said soothingly, leaning forward to give him a kiss on the forehead. He looked upset.

"Hold me? Please?" He whispered hoarsely, scooting over to make room for me in the bed. I looked at him warily.

"I don't know…" I began apprehensively.

"_Please_," he begged, looking at me pleadingly. I sighed.

"Oh all right, move over," I said grudgingly. He smiled weakly and obligingly moved over a bit more. I slide down next to him and pulled the covers over my shoulders. I rested my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around him. I could feel his heart hammering double time and he was still shaking.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I whispered, turning my head to look at him. He hugged me tightly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine, now that you're here." He murmured sleepily, kissing my hair. I smiled and snuggled into his arms. He sighed and when I looked up next, his eyes were closed and he was breathing calmly; he was fast asleep. I closed my eyes too; I was so tired. I fell asleep immediately; able to rest now that I was sure Will was safe.

**A/N: Awwww! Isn't that cute! :) Just to clarify, Will is wearing sweats and is shirtless and Bella obviously still has on her pajamas. NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN! THIS STORY IS STILL A VERY VERY LIGHT "T" RATING! Oh and yeah, I had to change the rating because of the suggestions and the "awareness" of the couple toward certain situations in this chapter. Thank so much for reading this chapter; I hope you enjoyed it! It was really long now that I check the word count, over 2,200 words! NICE! :) If I get enough reviews I might update again this weekend…it all depends me amigos! LOL hahaha! :-D**

**Ella**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is chapter 5! Yay! I can't believe that this story already has five chapters and I've gottten so many reviews and PMs, I didn't realize that people would like it so much, wow… well here's my latest update. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own H2O just add water, I own H2o just add Apple Juice! LOL no really it's this really cool show where there are these three girls and ten seconds after they touch apple juice they…**

**I'm an idiot and I know it; go ahead and read the chapter; don't mind me…:)**

CHAPTER 5

Bella's POV:

"Have you got everything?" I called from out the door, turning back to wait for Will.

"Yeah, I think so," he replied, coming out the door, his arms full.

"Oh, I'm sorry, here let me take some of that," I said, reaching for a few things,"

"Thanks," he gasped, catching his breath, "Come on we're going to be late, what's taking you so long?" He teased.

"Hey!" I pretended to be offended, glaring at him. Will turned and kissed me on the cheek, "Come on babe," he whined jokingly.

"You idiot," I kissed him back, "okay let's go,"

We got to the pier in a few minutes, Sophie was already there; she had come straight from work. This was going to be Will's first dive since the accident. He appeared enthusiastic about it all; I was just glad the things were finally getting back to normal. Although we didn't talk about it much, I knew that Will was still having nightmares. We hoped that this dive would put a stop to them once and for all.

We finally were out on the water; all of us had come, Zane had brought Rikki and Rikki had invited Cleo. Then obviously there was Sophie and I.

"Will, we're almost out far enough; I think you'd better start getting ready." Sophie said, handing Will his equipment.

Will nodded and took the stuff from her, stepping into the back of the boat to change. I watched his face closely as he turned to leave. Ever since we had gotten further and further out he had seemed to get quieter and quieter. I wondered if something was wrong. I tried to shake the feeling, not wanting to jinx the rest of the day, but I couldn't help it.

Ten minutes had gone by. Will was still in the cabin and Sophie was letting the rope with the marked balloons down into the water.

"I wonder what's taking him so long," she said curiously. "Zane, will you go and see if he's okay?"

Zane didn't answer. I looked up and saw him making out with Rikki by the side of the boat. Sophie shook her head in disgust. I laughed.

"We should totally push them in," I commented to Cleo. She giggled and playfully wagged her finger at me. I chuckled and returned my attention to Sophie, who was still trying to get Zane to pay attention.

"Zane, ZANE!"

He reluctantly broke away from Rikki and turned to Sophie.

"What?" He asked annoyed, "Can't you see I'm busy?" Rikki giggled and Sophie rolled her eyes.

"I said, go and see if Will's alright, he's been getting changed forever." She said exasperated. Zane looked at her in disbelief.

"You mean you seriously interrupted me just so I could go and see if fishboy needs help getting into his wetsuit?" Rikki groaned.

"Zane, let it go, go on and do like she said," Zane grinned at her, "okay, but when I'm done, we're picking up right where we left off!"

Rikki shook her finger at him, "if your lucky," she teased, kissing him on the nose, causing him to become momentarily hypnotized. "Now go." She ordered.

Zane shook himself and nodded, "right," he said, heading back towards the cabin. Rikki walked over to where Cleo and I were sitting and plopped down beside us.

"Soooo," Cleo began teasingly, "I guess things seem to be going well between you and Zane, huh?" I feigned shock,

"Oh Cleo, where would you ever get that impression!" I said in a fake shocked voice. Rikki glared at us for a few seconds, but she couldn't resist and soon she was laughing hysterically with us. A few seconds later I saw Zane come out of the cabin with a worried look on his face. I stopped laughing and listened anxiously as he talked to Sophie.

"I don't know what's wrong with him; he seemed fine when we just got on the boat, but now he's pacing back and forth in there like a caged animal. When I asked him what was wrong he said nothing at first, and then he said it was a headache. When I suggested he not dive, he seemed almost pleased, but then said that he should." Sophie looked worried and headed for the cabin. A few minutes later she walked out looking both worried and confused.

"I don't get it either, he claims that he feels fine, but I can tell that something's bothering him. Whenever I mention the dive, he changes his expression to look enthusiastic so fast it almost like he's putting on an act." She sighed, "I don't know whether I should let him go ahead and dive or not."

Cleo nudged me, "If there's anyone Will will talk to, it's you Bella," she said. I looked at them doubtfully.

"If he won't even talk to his sister…I don't know," Rikki rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on, don't be ridiculous, he'll tell you anything, now go on!" I decided that she was probably right, and then stood up and turned to Sophie.

"Sophie, let me talk to him, maybe I can figure out what's going on," she looked at me and shrugged.

"You could try; he's got us stumped," I nodded and stepped into the cabin, shutting the door behind me.

"Will?" I said, walking into the small space. He was sitting on the other side, his head in his hands. "Are you alright?" I said walking over to him quickly and sitting down next to him. He jumped in surprise and smiled down at me with a smile that was so fake it was ridiculous.

"Of course I'm alright,' he said, chuckling nervously, "why wouldn't I be?"

I stared at him, "Just one thing," I said.

"And what's that?"

"Exactly how stupid do you think I am?" I said shortly. "You honestly expect me to believe that everything's fine? Really?" He immediately dropped the smile and sighed.

"I should've know," he said softly. "I can fool Zane, I can even fool Sophie, but there's no way I can fool you, is there?"

I shook my head soundlessly. "Will, what's bothering you?' I asked quietly. He was silent for several seconds.

"It's so stupid," he said finally, clenching and unclenching his fists in frustration. I didn't say anything; I just waited.

"I'm scared," he said, almost to soft for me to hear. Everything all began to fall into place.

"Scared? That the same thing that happened last time will happen again?" I said calmly.

"Yeah," he responded, not looking at me, "pretty dumb huh?" I placed my hand under his chin and gently lifted his face where I could look into his eyes.

"No, it's not stupid, or dumb," I said sternly. "It's perfectly natural for you to be afraid after what happened; a life or death experience is nothing to joke about."

He averted his eyes away from mine and didn't say anything.

"You're afraid, but you still want to dive, right?" I said finally.

He nodded, "It's just that when I think about diving, the first thing hat comes into my mind is my dreams." He shook his head, "I don't think I can do this." He whispered.

I placed my hand on top of his. "Of course you can't," I said slowly, thinking.

"Huh?" he said, confused,

"Of course you can't," I continued, "alone anyway."

He shook his head, "I don't get it."

"It's simple; I'll dive with you. Sophie already knows about me, so there's nothing to worry about; we're far enough out to sea that we're not going to run into anybody else, and if something does go wrong – which it won't," I added quickly, "I'll be there to help."

"You'd actually do that? Dive with me?" He asked, sounding hopeful.

"Of course I would," I said, "I'm your girlfriend silly, and we used to dive all the time. This time will be no different." Will smiled the first genuine smile I'd seen on his face since we left the pier. He leaned forward and kissed me gently.

"So I guess that means that you'll dive, right?" I murmured in between kisses.

"Uh huh," Will mumbled, focusing all his attention on nuzzling my neck as I ran my fingers through his hair. Just then the door opened.

"Hey, is everything okay, it' been awhile…" Sophie's vice trailed off as she saw us kissing. "Oh come on!" She cried, causing Will and I to break apart laughing.

"Sorry sis," Will said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"You should be; anyway, do you still have a headache, case if you do you're not diving," She said, looking at me. I smiled and nodded just as Will said,

"You know what, it seems to have disappeared mysteriously." He smiled nervously, "I'll be ready soon." He stood up and started gathering his things."

"Um…okay…" Sophie said, surprised, "I'll have everything ready out on deck, take your time, no rush." I followed her outside. Immediately after we left the cabin she pulled me aside.

"How did you do it?" She asked, grinning, "What did you say to him? Is he okay?"

"I don't think I did anything; he's just scared Sophie, that's all." He face lit up with understanding.

"Why didn't I think of that!" She exclaimed, smacking her forehead with her palm. "It's so obvious!"

"Not that obvious," I consoled, "he was doing a pretty good job of pretending until we got onboard; he even had me fooled until I actually went and talked to him."

"I guess so…" Sophie admitted, "but if he's scared," she asked, "how did you get him to dive?"

I shrugged, "I just said that I'd dive with him." She looked confused.

"Wait, what…Oh right!" She cried remembering. "That's a perfect idea." Just then Will immerged from the cabin, looking calm and collected. Sophie turned away from me and faced him.

"Did you do all your breathing exercises?" She asked firmly.

He nodded, "All of them,"

"Okay then, I guess we're ready." She said, handing Will his goggles. "Lets go." I walked over to Cleo and Zane while Sophie was having some last minute words with Will.

"Well?" Cleo said, "What's going on?"

"I'm diving with him." I said, "He's freaked out about going don again, but he knows he needs too, so I'm diving with him."

"That's a good idea," Rikki said, nodding her head. We talked for a few seconds more and then I heard Sophie call me.

"Bella, are you ready?" I nodded and then smiled at Will.

"All set!" I called. Will lowered himself into the water carefully and then waited for me to come in.

"Wish us luck," I whispered to Cleo as I headed for the side of the boat. In one fluid motion I dived off the side and into the water. In the required ten seconds I changed. I surfaced and looked back up at the boat. Sophie had her mouth wide open.

"Wow…" she breathed. I laughed, that's right; she had only seen me with my tail once since the accident.

"That's amazing," she said in awe as I stretched out to give her the full view.

"You ready Will?" I said, turning to my boyfriend.

"I think so," he said, adjusting his goggles. I paddled a little closer.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. I'll be right beside you all the way." I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Now, let's do this!" Will took a deep breath and turned and flipped under the water. I followed close after. We steadily began to paddle down the rope, swimming in smooth motions. The flicks of my tail and his fin were perfectly synchronized. We hit the thirty-meter mark. I saw him pause momentarily. He lifted his head and looked at m for an instant, and then continued down the line. I was slightly surprised, but I followed him. When he passed the forty-meter mark I felt a little concerned and I was almost ready to make him head for the surface, but I restrained myself. Will knew what he was doing and I shouldn't stop him. When he hit the fifty-meter mark he finally reached for the balloon and released it, letting it float to the surface. He smiled broadly at me and motioned toward the surface. I nodded and grabbed his hand in mine, squeezing it encouragingly as we worked our way back to the boat.

At last we broke the surface. I cheer broke up from everyone on the boat. Will took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the much-needed oxygen. I shook the water out of my eyes and he flung his goggles off, slinging them over his arm. I laughed, and he grinned at me.

"You did it!" I squealed happily, paddling hard to stay afloat. He moved closer to me, pulling me into a tight embrace.

"No," he corrected gently, brushing my hair out of my eyes. "_We_ did it." He kissed me softly. As we broke apart, he looked at me seriously.

"Promise me something," he said.

I smiled, "what is it?" I asked, curious.

"Don't ever leave me," He said in a rush. I looked at him in confusion and he hurried to explain.

"I need you so much." He continued, "The past few weeks have been some of the hardest in my life; I don't think I could have made it through them without you." He shook his head and laughed slightly. "I can't believe it took me this long to realize how little I am without you." He squeezed my hands and I squeezed back.

"I need you." He repeated, "Promise me?"

I don't think I'd ever loved him so much as I did now.

"I promise," I whispered shakily. He smiled just as shakily and pulled me into his chest. I couldn't breath for a few moments, but I didn't care. He let me loose after a few seconds, and then crashed his lips into mine. I grunted in surprise, but then kissed back. We broke apart a little while later, both of us gasping for breath. A chorus of "awws", groans, and a few claps came from the direction of the boat. Will and I turned around and then looked at each other.

"Uhh…I forget they were there," Will said, blushing furiously.

"So did I," I admitted, just realizing that our entire exchange had been in front of everybody.

"Maybe we should head back now?" I suggested, trying to keep a straight face. He nodded, grinning.

"Good idea."

So we turned, and slowly began to make our way back towards the boat, my tail and his diving fin paddling in synch, our hands clasped.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry, but this really is the end! Don't worry though, I have ideas for another story similar to this one and I'll be posting it within the next few weeks. If you guys have any ideas or requests please review or PM me. I'm dedicating this final chapter to…. [Drum roll!]**

**Riverxboysxgirls! (Surprised Brooke? I thought you might like this!)**

**She's been a really awesome reviewer and has sent me really encouraging PMs. Not to mention she's put up with my recent obsession with Home & Away by answering all my questions about the show! Thanks so much Riverxboysxgirls! I hope you liked the chapter!**

**Also, thanks to EVERYBODY who has reviewed this story! I didn't expect it to become an actual story and I certainly didn't expect it to be so popular. Special thanks to:**

PeacePinkSeddie**: You were my very first review! The first review is always the most special, it's that shot in the dark that tells you that your story didn't suck! Thanks so much, I'm glad you liked it!**

Wella4Ever25**: You've been a great reviewer on everything! I love PMing with you and I'm so glad you like my stories. I love yours too! Thanks so much!**

Liveonpurpose**: Another reviewer I've "met" before. Thanks for your support on this story and my others!**

CheddarFetta**: You sent me some really REALLY encouraging reviews about parts in the story that I was unsure about how well I had done. I don't forget things like that. Thank you so much, I also really love your stories AND your username! :) **

Quillcox**: I'm so glad you like this story and I'm thankful for your reviews on this one and my other ones. You're so nice! :)**

YugiohObsessed**: I opened my email one day and I saw that I had gotten four new reviews. It was so amazing to me that you reviewed EVERY SINGLE CHAPTER after you read it. I usually just read them all and leave one review for the whole thing! It made me feel so good; even one word can mean so much. Thank you! :)**

Dihydrogen Monoxide 800**: I know you only reviewed one, but your review was so encouraging that I had to say thanks! :) Thank you! :)**

**Thanks to everyone else who reviewed, favorited, alerted, or just READ it and liked it. It's crazy amazing to me. Thanks so much! Stay tuned for a new story! Luv ya! :)**

**Ella**

**P.S: Credit for the disclaimer goes to my BFF. She gave me the idea for this one and several others I have used! **

**P.P.S: 3,000 WORDS! ALRIGHT! :)**


	6. AUTHORS NOTE: IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

**A/N: Okay, this note is for all the readers of my stories at gabisamore. I just wanted to let you know that these H2O and H&A stories are no longer being updated; I have made my own account and switched all my stories there. My new account is daydreambeliever321. These stories might be deleted at some point, but I really hate to loose the reviews so I'm hesitating. For all of you who have my stories on you favorites and followers, or myself as an author on your favorites and followers, please switch to my new account. I'm sorry for all the confusion, but it was about time I got my own account. I'll be updating each and every one of my In Process stories within a day or so, just so you'll be able to see them all at the top of the fan bases. A huge thank you to gabisamore for letting me use her account all this time! :) Go check out her hunger games fic! It's really good! Thank you so much for your support and once again, so sorry for all this fuss! :)**

**Ella:)**


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